Deployment of a Distribution STATCOM to Mitigate Rapid Voltage Variations in a Rural Distribution Feeder supplying an Industrial Park

Flexible ac transmission systems (FACTS) have secured a market share in both transmission and distribution system operational improvements, going from concept to a viable tool in the past four decades. The STATCOM, nowadays being one of the most common shunt-connected FACTS, has matured in this timeframe and is now being employed by many distribution system operators. In this context, its typical application is the mitigation of rapid voltage changes, which are the main cause of voltage flicker. While the relatively low X/R characteristic of a distribution system is not conducive to maximizing the effectiveness of this device, distribution STATCOMs can still be very effective in meeting power quality standard requirements of most distribution systems if planned adequately. This paper presents a real case study deployment of a Distribution-STATCOM in a rural distribution feeder to mitigate rapid voltage changes caused by a nearby industrial park. The presented study demonstrates typical Distribution STATCOM response times are sufficiently fast to mitigate rapid variations, for both load varying and interharmonic caused flicker.